Iron Chef Symphonia: Sage vs Sakai
by OkonoMiyagi
Summary: When a venerable Japanese cooking competition arrives in the land of Symphonia, a young mage's culinary talent blossoms. My first fic...please go easy on me. Updated to fix formatting and some wording.
1. Setting the Table

Iron Chef Symphonia: Sage vs. Sakai

Summary: When a venerable Japanese cooking competition arrives in the land of Symphonia, a young mage's culinary talent blossoms. Friendship fluff involving primarily Genis interspersed, even some GenisxPresea, and maybe some LloydxSheena if you look closely.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Iron Chef, or any of the characters involved.

Author's Note: All characters are assumed to be speaking Japanese unless otherwise noted. Hopefully much of the culinary information in this story is accurate--I did do some research. Also, please go easy on me: this is my first fic, not betaed (so direct any gripes about grammar and the like directly to me), and still kinda unfinished despite the bulk of the story being finished.

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"_Tell me what you eat, and I'll tell you who you are." --Brillat-Savarin_

**Chapter 1: Setting the Table**

"Y'know, Genis, I dunno how you do it so well, but every time you cook it's like the best meal I've ever had…"

Lloyd dunked his chopsticks into the bowl of ramen and furiously scooped some more noodles into his mouth. Sheena glared at him as he rudely slurped them up, but as she put her broth-filled spoon to her lips she forgot why she was glaring at him. The katsuobushi-infused, steaming hot liquid revitalized her senses. The broth worked its magic as Sheena swallowed it; her soul—and her stomach—felt warm again.

"I'm glad you like it, guys," Genis shrugged as he drank the broth from his bowl. His Ramen of Mana had won over his companions once again.

"You're not bad, you little brat," Zelos smirked between bites, "Sure beats the hell out of the time Raine tried to do this…"

Raine fumed. _Now I know why Sheena wants to beat you over the head all the time…_ She picked up some noodles in her chopsticks, trying not to cause a scene at the table. As she chewed, her eyes began to light up. The noodles had the perfect texture, the broth was well-flavored, and the once-hotheaded Raine calmed to her usual, demure self once again.

_Oh…_ she sighed, _it's so warm…I definitely feel some homely comfort in this one…how does Genis do it?_

"Sit tight, everyone, I have something else I want you to try…" Genis said as he ran back to the kitchen. He returned with several glasses, with what appeared to be a scoop of ice cream inside of each of them. They were colored bright red, with flakes of a certain red substance sprinkled about them. Next to the ice cream was a small tart with small pieces of orange-colored fruit inside, glazed with a white, creamy mixture.

"I give you," he announced with a flourish, "my newest creation: mango yogurt tart with red bell pepper sorbet."

Colette winced at the thought of peppers. "Red…bell pepper…sorbet…?" she gulped.

"That's right, red bell pepper sorbet. I'm trying something new today. And if you don't like it, there's a certain swordsman I'm sure you can give it to. But c'mon, Colette, just try it, will ya? They're not green, so they're not gonna kill ya."

"I never thought of bell peppers being used in ice cream…" Regal mused aloud as he took a small scoop of the sorbet into his spoon. "But the red peppers are naturally the sweetest, so I guess it's not totally far-fetched…balances out quite nicely with the sourness of the mango tart, I think. Excellent job, Genis."

Presea eyed Colette warily as she examined the bizarre red substance currently occupying her spoon.

"Is there something unusual about the dessert, Colette?"

"It's—well, it's just that it's made from peppers…"

"I think it would be in our best interest to take a bite, then continue eating if we enjoy it…"

"I—uh—" Colette stammered, "Presea…I'll take a bite if you take a bite, OK?"

"Very well." Presea scooped some of the ice cream into her mouth. Genis watched intently—he could feel his heartbeat shoot far above a level that was considered healthy.

Colette's hand quivered as she held the spoon up to her mouth. _I hope I never have to eat peppers again after this…_

The grimace she wore slowly transformed into a smile.

"Is it good?"

"Umm…wow, Presea, you were right, this IS good…"

Lloyd couldn't help but laugh. "Dude, if you can make even _Colette_ like something that involves peppers, you're a better chef than I am…"

Genis rubbed the back of his neck as he chuckled at his friend's comment. "A-a-a-a-and Presea…w-w-what d-do you t-think?"

"This is the best dessert I have ever had. Thank you, Genis."

Genis turned bright red as he beamed at her. _Score!_

As they complimented Genis on a wonderful meal, the group made for the cleaning effort. The eight of them had grown close even after the journey to regenerate the world had ended, and it was no exception when it came to food, especially when prepared by Genis. Not only was the kid a magical genius, he was also a walking cookbook, it seemed.

"Umm, Genis?" Regal asked.

"What's up, Regal?"

Regal unfolded a flyer from his pocket and stared at it.

_I wonder if he's what we need for this project to really take off…_

"The Lezareno Company has been sponsoring this new cooking competition," he began. "Actually, it isn't really new, it's been around for a while, and we've had it going in Tethe'alla for about a couple of weeks now. But our reception so far hasn't been too good, and I think you're just the person we need to boost our reception."

Genis raised an eyebrow. "A cooking competition, eh? What do I have to do?"

"Well, there are these four guys, they're called 'Iron Chefs', and you go into what's called 'Kitchen Stadium' and challenge one of them to a cooking battle. You have an hour to create a full-course meal revolving around one theme ingredient, and you're judged accordingly. A winning challenger receives a hundred thousand Gald."

"And if I lose…?"

"Well…nothing, really…I mean, some of us here might tease you for a few days, but that is of no importance. What is, however, is the fact that we have not yet had a challenger win this competition since we brought it to Tethe'alla. Perhaps that is why we haven't been received too well. But I think you definitely have what it takes to win."

"Well…I…"

Presea timidly tapped him on the shoulder. "You can do it," she told him, "Of all of us, only you can really be called the Iron Chef."

"She's right," Sheena added, "You're certainly the most creative out of all eight of us, and most of your experiments turned out to be awesome."

Genis turned bright red, but felt confidence surge within his body.

"OK…I'll do it!"

* * *

"I shall send him the introductory hologram immediately," a deep voice replied over the phone. "And please remember—I must have the name of the Iron Chef he wishes to challenge in his next reply."

"Of course, Kaga-san."

"And Regal—"

"Yes?"

"You really think he can do it? We've had twelve battles, and the Iron Chefs have won all of them."

"He has my official endorsement, sir."

"Very well."

Kaga placed the receiver back onto the cradle and leaned back in his chair, pondering the issue intently. _A challenger so young…but he must be very talented if Mr. Bryant believes he can knock off one of _my _Iron Chefs. Well, who am I to refuse?_

_

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I wrote this in advance before I realized I wanted to publish it here, so you'll get 9 chapters all at once. Stay tuned, and please R&R--help a first-timer out here!


	2. Respect the Old, Seek the New

Chapter 2, where Genis encounters a well-known entity in Kitchen Stadium. Enjoy.

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Chapter 2: Respect the Old, Seek the New

The streets of Meltokio were relatively empty early in the morning. Genis woke up bright and early to stroll, the thought of the upcoming culinary battle looming over his shoulder. _Cooking was always something I did for fun,_ he thought to himself,_ and I was never judged for originality or presentation…Well, we've done tougher stuff than this before…_

He had been all over town when he finally stopped in front of the Coliseum about an hour later; he eyed a poster hanging on the wall. It showed four men in colored chef's costumes, each posing in a unique way—one with his hands at his hips, one holding a pear, one holding a tomato, and another holding a cleaver. Genis read the description with much interest.

RYORI NO TETSU-SHINFONIA

IRON CHEF SYMPHONIA

The hit Japanese cooking contest has arrived in Tethe'alla!

Meltokio Coliseum becomes Kitchen Coliseum as the Iron Chefs await the challenge of the world's very best chefs!

Defeat the Iron Chef, win 100,000 Gald!

_These guys must be good…if Regal says they're better than the Wonder Chef…_ Genis thought to himself. _Do I stand a chance?_

"You're thinking about entering the competition?" a man's voice rang out behind Genis. The young mage spun around, startled, to see an old man in a blue samue outfit standing right behind him. Genis looked down at the lapel of his robe and noticed an odd insignia on it, which read "IRON CHEF" underneath. The man chuckled at Genis's startled expression.

"You—you're an—"

"_Hai_," the man replied. "Rokusaburo Michiba, Iron Chef Japanese the First," he said, extending his hand to the young mage.

"Pleased to meet you, Michiba-san. I'm Genis Sage. And yes, I—uh, I was going to enter the competition. My friend Regal brought it up to me, and I thought I'd give it a try."

"Ahaha, Regal-san! Yes, I know him well. What is your cooking style?"

"Uh…well, I—" Genis stammered. _Cooking _style_? I never thought I had much of a style…_ "I just love to cook for my friends. I don't have much of a style, though I guess you could call it Iselian…"

Michiba frowned. "Iselian, _neh_? Is that a town in that other world—what's it called again?"

"Oh, Sylvarant! Yeah, it's the village where I grew up. I don't know about much of a style. I just come up with new things just based on what we happen to have."

"Ah, a maverick!" Michiba lit up. "Well, just remember—when you battle one of the Iron Chefs, remember that there are no borders to ingredients. Follow your own intuition, and ask yourself how you can push the theme ingredient's potential to the furthest. Find the essence of the ingredient, and leave no part of it untouched."

Genis looked up at the Iron Chef. Michiba had a twinkle in his eye as he looked at the young mage.

"T-t-t-thank y-y-you, Michiba-san…" Genis was still looking at the old man in shock. "I—I don't think I'll be able to battle you if I—"

"What, battle me?" Michiba chuckled. "Don't worry about it, young man, I've retired from battling a long time ago. They just finished a battle in there and asked me to be a judge, so I'm on my way home. Why don't you go take a look inside? Knowing your surroundings, as I'm sure you know, is half the battle." With that, Michiba gave Genis a pat on the back and walked away, leaving the young mage in front of the poster with a stunned look on his face.

_Well…I guess the old man's right…maybe I'll go take a look…_ he thought as he went inside.

What he found was beyond his wildest imagination. The normal battlefield had been transformed into a massive cooking arena—two world-class kitchens on opposite sides. At the back of the stadium was a staircase leading to a large table, and behind the table on an elevated dais stood four very large, detailed portraits. They were the exact same men Genis saw on the poster outside.

_So they're the Iron Chefs…_

"Hey, what're you doing? No one is allowed in Kitchen Stadium after battles!"

"Ah! I'm sorry! I was just—"

"Genis? Is that you?"

"…Oh. Haha, Regal, you gave me a scare there…"

"What are you doing here?"

"I just went out for a stroll, and found the poster outside the Coliseum advertising the Iron Chef competition. And you'll never guess who I ran into out there—Iron Chef Michiba!"

"Well, I think I now understand why you're here…" Regal chuckled. "Come, why don't I show you your side of the kitchen?"

Regal showed Genis the layout of the challenger's kitchen—the location of the oven, where each kind of ingredient was kept, where everything was in which cabinet. Genis couldn't help but gawk in awe.

"You'll get a more detailed walkthrough on the day of the battle," Regal told him. "Which reminds me, why don't the eight of us come in and watch tomorrow's battle? You might get some ideas by just watching these guys work."

"I…I'd like that, thanks."

* * *

"Ah, welcome back, Duke Bryant, Master Genis," Sebastian bowed as the two came back to Zelos's mansion from Kitchen Stadium.

"Genis!" Colette squealed. "I was so worried—you left so early in the morning and we had no idea where you went—thank goodness Regal found you…"

"Thanks Colette, but we're fine. Regal was just showing me around Kitchen Stadium, so I can get a feel for what I need to do for the battle."

"Yo, Genis, there's a package for you…there wasn't a return address, but here ya go," Lloyd chimed in, handing Genis a mysterious package with an image of two birds holding up an emblem bearing a "K" on a shield. Genis tore it open to discover a hologram projector inside.

"Well…I guess I better see what this is about…" Genis said as he pushed the button on the projector. A life-sized image of a man wearing a rather ornate cape took form and stood before Genis.

"_Konichi-wa_, Genis Sage. My name is Takeshi Kaga, and I am the Chairman of the Gourmet Academy. I scour the world looking for the world's very best chefs and invite them to compete in Kitchen Stadium against my Iron Chefs."

Genis narrowed his eyes in focus, already knowing what this message was all about. The rest of the group, curious about the mysterious hologram image, quickly gathered around him.

"As you may know, when I moved my Gourmet Academy from Japan to Tethe'alla, the Lezareno Company, headed by your friend Regal Bryant, did not hesitate to sponsor our competitions. Mr. Bryant has told me many good things about your cooking, and I believe you possess the perfect qualities to challenge my Iron Chefs. Allow me to introduce them to you…"

Kaga's image disappeared, replaced by an image of a man in a red French chef's costume.

"Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai. He has the best winning percentage out of all the Iron Chefs."

Genis gulped. _Damn…he must be really good… _he thought. Sakai's image disappeared and was replaced by an image of a man in a silver sushi chef's outfit.

"Iron Chef Japanese, Masaharu Morimoto. He is not afraid to let his imagination run wild in the kitchen."

"That sounds just like everyone in this group…" Presea softly uttered to Genis.

"Yeah, but some people have greater degrees of success than others…" Zelos sneered, earning him a giant slap from Raine. Morimoto's image disappeared, and was replaced by a man in a yellow Chinese chef's suit.

"Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi," Kaga continued, "He is the longest-serving of my Iron Chefs."

Chen disappeared and was replaced by a young man dressed in the colors of the Italian flag.

"Finally, the youngest Iron Chef, Masahiko Kobe, Iron Chef Italian."

"He doesn't look much older than me…" said Zelos, his eyes widening as the Chairman's image reappeared.

"I have scheduled you to battle two weeks from today. Please return the enclosed form with the name of the Iron Chef you wish to challenge within the next week. Once I receive your reply, I will provide you with the names of the judges for your battle. I look forward to hearing from you. _Ganbatte._" The projector clicked off, and the image of Chairman Kaga disappeared.

The whole room was silent. Everyone blinked a couple of times, wondering what exactly they just saw. Everyone, of course, except Genis and Regal, who knew exactly what this meant.

"So who are you going to challenge, Genis?" Lloyd finally asked, breaking the silence.

Genis sighed. "I don't know…"

* * *

"Bang a gong, we are on, and the two men make their way to the ingredient stand…" The TV flickered in the middle of the darkness.

Genis sat in the living room back in Zelos's mansion, long after the others had gone to sleep. The thought of attending the battle with his friends the next day made him anxious to battle an Iron Chef for himself, bringing on a wave of _Iron Chef_ obsession. He had managed to borrow some videotapes of the original Japanese program from Regal—namely, some of Iron Chef Michiba's battles—and was watching them intently, taking notes. On the screen he saw Michiba writing his menu, as he almost always did at the top of a battle.

_A battle plan…I'll keep that one in mind for the big day, _he thought as he scribbled "Remember to write your battle plan" in his notebook.

"G-G-Genis…"

The young mage jumped from his seat, sending his notebook and pen flying near the feet of a certain pink-haired party member.

"…What are you doing up so late? Who is that man wearing the strange blue robe?" the girl asked as she took a seat next to Genis, handing him back his notebook.

"Presea! Ahhhh…" Genis began, blushing (even though it was dark enough that nobody could tell). "I dunno, this whole _Iron Chef_ business Regal brought up really got me motivated to win the competition, so I'm mentally preparing myself as much as I can."

Presea only eyed him even more strangely.

"Oh! And that man in the blue robe—I met him today! Michiba-san is such a great guy. He's got Raine's intelligence, but with cooking. No wonder he's an Iron Chef…"

"I see…" Presea nodded. She turned to look at him.

_I can feel the determination in his eyes…_

"Oh, that reminds me…" Genis said as he flipped his notebook back open and scribbled the advice Michiba gave him earlier in the day: 'There are no borders to ingredients.'

_I wish I could tell him…now would be the perfect time…_

The tape had ended, Genis bearing a wide grin on his face upon hearing Chairman Kaga declare Michiba the winner.

"Presea…?"

_Is he?!_

"Regal invited us to the next battle tomorrow, if you'd like to join me. I'd like to see what I'm getting myself into before I go about it."

"Umm…" Presea looked askance as she turned to go upstairs, "I'd like that very much." _So he's not telling me?_

Genis beamed at her. "S-s-s-sleep well, OK?"

Presea gave a slight grin and nodded as she turned to head for bed.

_Martel, help me, _Genis thought, _it's going to take more than just Michiba-san's advice to get me through this one…_

_

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Stay tuned for Chapter 3..._


	3. Anago Confront

Chapter 3, where our favorite group sits in on a battle. Allez Cuisine.

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**Chapter 3: Anago Confront**

Genis and his friends took their seats in the Royal Box on the Iron Chef's side of the kitchen on the day of the battle Regal invited them to watch. Kitchen Stadium was abuzz with word that the heroes of both worlds were watching today's battle, which probably explained the accelerated pace of the usual KS assistants in preparing the Stadium for battle. As Chairman Kaga made his entrance, Sheena nearly burst out laughing.

"Jeez, this guy's wardrobe looks like something straight out of Kratos's closet," she whispered to Lloyd, who tried to hold back a giggle.

"He-hey, you're gonna get us kicked out at the rate you're going! Let's see who this challenger guy is…" Lloyd replied, pointing out Kaga booming forth the name of the challenger:

"Let's bring him on! The world knows him as the Wonder Chef! Head Chef of Kyo-no-Hanten in Altamira: Martin Ellis!"

There was a collective gasp from the Royal Box as the red curtains at the far end of Kitchen Stadium tore open with a flourish, revealing none other than the Wonder Chef himself.

"So THAT'S the Wonder Chef's real name, huh?" Sheena deadpanned. "Looking for a challenge, or feeling the need to prove himself?"

Genis looked on silently as the Wonder Chef conversed with the Chairman. _Man, if _he _loses…what chance do _I _have?_

"Yomigaeru-ai…IRON CHEF!"

The group was immediately silenced as Kitchen Stadium went dark and the portraits of the Iron Chefs lit up, smoke billowing from the dais. Fukui, the announcer, began talking over the music. Genis could make out chefs' hats beginning to poke out of the floor, and the whole group jumped back in their seats in shock when they noticed the hats' owners also beginning to rise out of the floor.

"This cooking match has even more pageantry than regular Meltokio Coliseum matches…" Raine whispered to Colette, who lightly giggled.

"Ascending into the ethereal atmosphere and assuming their rightful positions in Kitchen Stadium…" Fukui narrated, "…YOUR Iron Chefs!

"Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi.

"Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai.

"Iron Chef Japanese, Masaharu Morimoto.

"And Iron Chef Italian, Masahiko Kobe. Here they stand, the invincible men of culinary skills!"

"You claim to be the Wonder Chef," Kaga says, "so against which Iron Chef will you work your wonders?"

"I challenge…Masahiko Kobe!" the Wonder Chef, or Chef Ellis, bellowed, pointing a finger at the Iron Chef Italian.

"What a call!" Fukui exclaimed. "Challenger Ellis gunning for Iron Chef Italian Masahiko Kobe, the Prince of Pasta. So far the Iron Chefs have been unbeaten in Kitchen Stadium Symphonia—the pressure for Kobe to preserve that blemish-free record will be immense!"

"Italian, eh?" Zelos snickered as both chefs took their positions on the floor. "I guess our little Wonder Chef _is_ looking for a challenge, just like my little voluptuous hunny said!"

As Zelos snuck his arm around Sheena's shoulder, she rolled her eyes. "If we weren't in the audience of a recorded program, I'd totally smack your ass to Derris-Kharlan and back…" she sneered at him. "…Stupid Chosen." For now, she just settled for grabbing his wrist and flinging it back at his side.

"Aw, c'mon, Sheena, I—"

"Call me those two words _one more time_," Sheena said, through gritted teeth, "and I _will_ hurt you."

Genis chuckled at the scene but was once again shocked into silence as Kaga ripped the tablecloth off the ingredient stand, and a large tank containing the day's theme ingredient—live—suddenly rose into place in front of him.

"Today's theme is…ANAGO!"

The group's eyes were as wide as the expression on Chef Ellis's mouth. They, obviously, weren't used to working with live ingredients—Colette nearly passed out, seemingly knowing what was going to happen to the eels. Genis, notebook in tow, scribbled a note:

"Pray to Martel and all that is holy that your theme ingredient is already dead or otherwise inanimate."

"ALLEZ CUISINE!" Kaga boomed from the ingredient stand. A gong crashed, and Kobe made a mad dash to the tank.

"Jeez, Kobe must've been a track star in high school or something…" Lloyd mumbled to Genis, who made another note in his book:

"You only have an hour. At 'Allez Cuisine', make like Kobe and RUN."

"This is DEFINITELY not my favorite part," Colette groaned as she looked away from the scene on the monitor. Iron Chef Kobe, having secured a live eel still squirming onto the cutting board, began to fillet it. "Ugh…let me know when it's over," she said, burying her face in Zelos's shoulder.

"No worries, my little angel hunny, I'll be sure you won't miss much…"

Watching the battle, and the pageantry and spectacle that came with it, was an eye-opening experience for the group. Genis was too busy scribbling notes into his notebook to notice the voice next to him:

"Enjoying the scene, Genis-kun?"

Turning to face the man, Genis's eyes widened in surprise.

"Michiba-san?"

"_Hai,_" Michiba grunted as he turned in his seat to face the kitchen. "What are you writing?" the old man asked, craning his neck to look into the notebook.

"THIRTY MINUTES HAVE ELAPSED," a disembodied voice called.

"Ah, just notes," Genis said as he wrote down another one, something involving watching the clock.

"Why notes?"

"So I'll have a good strategy when I go in to battle two weeks from now," he replied. "Whoa, did you see that?" Genis exclaimed, pointing to a shot of a pan on the Iron Chef's side that violently flared up as Kobe poured some red wine into it. Michiba chuckled.

"Genis-kun, you don't need to take notes to win a battle like this."

"…What?"

Michiba reached over and flipped Genis's notebook closed. "Just enjoy the battle," he said, leaning back in his chair, "and on the day of the battle, just do what comes naturally. I tell that to these guys all the time," he said, gesturing to the row behind him. The other Iron Chefs—Chen, Sakai, and Morimoto—were watching the proceedings over their shoulders.

Genis shifted his glance from the Iron Chefs to his closed notebook and sighed. Maybe the old man was right, as the battle was over halfway through and he hadn't watched much cooking at all. Tucking his pen behind his ear, he stole a quick glance at Michiba and the Iron Chefs behind him before finally settling in his seat to watch what remained of Battle Anago.

* * *

"I can't believe it! His dishes looked so good…how did he lose the battle?" Lloyd cried in disbelief. The group was heading back to Zelos's mansion after the battle. Iron Chef Kobe had defeated Martin Ellis, the Wonder Chef, in a panel sweep.

"I dunno…I guess it's just a case of good being beaten by even better," Zelos replied, scratching his head.

"But the Wonder Chef's scores were considerably lower than the Iron Chef's were. I mean, the judges gave him, like, 14's and 15's when they gave Kobe 18's and 19's," said Sheena, "Maybe he was just having a bad day. I mean, don't we all tend to perform a little bit worse on a bad day?"

Genis nodded. "Heh, I've had my share of bad days in the kitchen to know what you're talking about, Sheena…I just hope my battle in the next two weeks isn't going to be one of them."

"Oh, speaking of which," Raine remembered as they arrived at Zelos's doorstep, "don't you still have to formally choose your opponent?"

Genis's eyes bolted open faster than the door to Zelos's mansion. "Oh, crap, yeah! Thanks for that, Raine, I suppose I better do that tomorrow…"

Lloyd flopped onto the sofa. "You know who you're gonna challenge, bud?"

Genis frowned. "Well, definitely not Kobe! The way he sprinted to the ingredient stand just scared me."

Regal lifted his gaze from the chessboard he and Presea were poring over. "I suggest," he began, "that you challenge Iron Chef Morimoto. You and he seem to have similar approaches—letting your imagination run wild."

"Yeah, but then it would turn into a creativity contest, and we all know what happens when Genis gets a little _too_ creative," Zelos butted in. "Remember that time when he tried making us that potato dumpling soup? Something in there killed the taste of the potatoes…that was worse than Raine's cooking on a good day."

Genis lowered his face, smiling wryly. As much as he hated to admit it, it was true. In what he termed a wild spark of creativity, he had added a few slices of liver fried in ketchup batter to the soup and killed whatever other flavors were supposed to be in the dish.

"Hey, I'm only trying to help…" Zelos shot at him.

"It is my official recommendation that Genis challenge Iron Chef Sakai," Presea chimed. "They are both on par in terms of presentation, but Genis will outdo Sakai as far as originality is concerned."

"But what about Chen?" asked Colette.

"Well, Chen has lost the most battles out of any Iron Chef," Raine replied, scouring the records she found, "but he's also fought the most battles out of any Iron Chef. Percentage-wise he's right behind Sakai."

"Guys, guys…" Genis interrupted, clutching his head in pain. "I appreciate all the help, but really, I need some time to decide this on my own. I'm gonna go to bed and let you guys know in the morning."

* * *

Kaga entered his office, threw away the stem of a yellow pepper he had just finished, and found a note delivered to his desk.

_Dear Mr. Kaga,_

_Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to compete in your Kitchen Stadium. I hope Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai is willing to accept my challenge._

_Sincerely,_

_Genis Sage_

"Sakai, huh?" Kaga muttered as he reached for another yellow pepper. "Very well, my young friend, we accept your challenge."

* * *

Chapter 4 coming...stay tuned...


	4. You Go, We Go

Chapter 4, where Genis does some last-minute, late-night preparations. And in walks in a certain party member...enjoy.

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**Chapter 4: You Go, We Go**

_TWO WEEKS LATER—14 HOURS BEFORE BATTLE_

_11:45 PM_

Genis sat on the floor in his room in Zelos's mansion and yawned. After several practice battles Raine put him through, he was exhausted. Though everyone gave him good scores, he was still quite nervous for the upcoming battle, the one that counted. Kaga had dispatched a camera crew to film Genis's opening sequence for the broadcast, which didn't make him feel any better—Lloyd joked, rather out of line, that the crew "built him up a little too well in case the Iron Chef shoots him down hard". The nerves got worse for him as he was looking over the names of the judges for tomorrow's battle. Apparently Kaga had lined up some pretty big names in the land of Symphonia to come judge this particular battle: Pietro, fresh from the now-completed Luin restoration efforts; Chocolat, who had taken up rebuilding Palmacosta; and, oddly enough, Yuan, who was apparently a regular judge. He then reached the last two names on the list, which held his attention closely:

_ISHINABE, YUTAKA. Honorary Iron Chef French._

_MICHIBA, ROKUSABURO. Honorary Iron Chef Japanese._

"You have got to be kidding me," Genis muttered aloud. The man who gave him the best kitchen advice he had ever gotten was now going to pick him apart for not following it. "Man…now I'm kinda scared…"

There was a light knock at the door. Startled, Genis whirled around but relaxed his death stare when he realized who it was.

"W-w-w-what are you doing up so late, Presea?"

"I—I came to see you…" she said, not breaking eye contact as she walked toward him. She sat down next to Genis on the floor as he continued to scratch his head over the list of judges.

"You…you are nervous about the battle tomorrow, yes?"

"What? Oh, y-y-y-yeah…I really want to win, you know…I was never really accustomed to losing, and if I do…well, I don't know how I'll take it."

Presea sighed and looked in his eyes. "Well…I believe that this cooking battle should be no different than any other battle we fought during our journey—"

"Aside from the fact that no one's going to die, you mean?" Genis interrupted.

"Erm—yes, and positive thinking should have the same effect on this battle. Just…just do your best. The whole group and I are behind you every step of the way."

Genis grinned, but still averted his gaze from Presea's. He made to speak before Presea grabbed his wrist, yanked his face closer to her, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

_I…I…I did it…finally…but now…_

Dumbfounded, Genis lifted his hand to where she kissed him and turned to speak to her, but she was already gone.

"I had better get some sleep, then…it's gonna be one hell of a day tomorrow," he muttered, getting into bed. "What got into her, I wonder…?"

**

* * *

Chapter 5 on its way...stay tuned...(wow this was short...)**


	5. A Little Good Luck

Chapter 5, where Genis gets a couple of unexpected visitors before the battle. Dozo.

* * *

**Chapter 5: A Little Good Luck**

_MELTOKIO COLISEUM_

_KITCHEN STADIUM, BACKSTAGE, CHALLENGER'S DRESSING ROOM_

_1 HOUR BEFORE BATTLE_

_You only have an hour. At 'Allez Cuisine', make like Kobe and run._

_Pray to Martel and all that is holy that your theme ingredient is already dead or otherwise inanimate._

_Remember to write your battle plan._

_Don't forget about the presentation of the dish. You are not just a chef—you are an artist as well._

_There are no borders to ingredients._

_Do what comes naturally to you._

These were the notes Genis had written in his notebook before Michiba flipped it closed during Battle Anago two weeks ago. He studied them carefully before he looked up at the clock in the dressing room. 12:45 PM, it read. Exactly one hour before Genis was to step into Kitchen Stadium. He obviously came dressed to fight; gone was his traditional light blue battle outfit, replaced by a white chef's outfit with an Exsphere pattern stitched onto the lapel.

"Genis-san, there's someone here to see you…" a producer called as he knocked at the door.

"Come in," Genis replied, shutting his notebook. "Oh! Um, hey there Regal…"

"Hello, Genis. Did you rest well last night?"

"Uh, yeah, if you can call that resting," Genis replied, rubbing the back of his head. Thinking too much about the battle the night before gave him a headache that he only just now shook. "So what are you doing here?"

"The producers have asked me to escort you into Kitchen Stadium," Regal replied. "Since I recommended you, that is. They've included an interview with me in your introductory sequence, and I was told to show said sequence to you now…"

Regal pulled out a disc, inserted it into the disc player, and flipped on the TV. As it began to play, an image of Regal appeared on screen, and Kaga was heard narrating in the background.

* * *

_GENIS SAGE INTRODUCTION_

_IRON CHEF SYMPHONIA_

_If memory serves me right, the sponsor of the _Iron Chef Symphonia _is the Lezareno Company._

_The company, which specializes in tourism and metalwork, recently began providing this very show with the state-of-the-art cooking equipment we use in our Kitchen Stadium._

_Recently, the President of the company, Regal Bryant, contacted me. And he told me:_

_"I have been traveling with a young man whose cooking is simply exquisite. I am confident that he is able to defeat your Iron Chefs."_

_Ah, yes, how could I forget? My Iron Chefs are still undefeated in Kitchen Stadium, having won every one of the last thirteen battles. But a _young_ man with the official endorsement of our sponsor company's President, yet with no restaurant experience challenges my Iron Chefs? I must admit, I was quite skeptical at first, but when he showed me what this young man could do, I could not resist inviting him to compete._

_Today's challenger: our youngest challenger ever in Kitchen Stadium, from the village of Iselia in Sylvarant: 13-year-old Genis Sage._

_Genis learned the art of cooking at the tender age of 4. By the age of 6 he was considered a prodigy in the culinary world. However, he remained dedicated to his study of magic at the Iselia School, and thus, did not cultivate his newfound talent for quite some time._

_"At that time I considered cooking as a hobby, coming second to my studies. I still cooked, sure, but my studies came first."_

_One year ago, he began the journey of world restoration with Sylvarant's Chosen, Colette Brunel; his sister, Raine; and his best friend, Lloyd Irving. It was at this time that he was truly able to hone his culinary prowess, cooking for his friends after grueling battles with monsters. His friends and traveling companions say that he is one of the best cooks of their entire group._

_Genis's dishes know no boundaries. Forced to improvise on a regular basis, he creates superb dishes that are products of careful experimentation supplemented by knowledge of complementary flavors, which he has gained over time._

_Now, Genis! Show us your talent that won over the President of the Lezareno Company and that gave your companions the strength to regenerate our world!_

_"Iron Chefs…you're going down."_

_

* * *

  
_

"Wow," Genis said as he nearly choked on his water, "they sure do make the challengers look really good before a battle…"

"I agree…" Regal muttered. "But I think this time they did that for one who really is worthy of challenging the Iron Chefs. And I meant to tell you—apparently people around Meltokio got wind of your appearance on the show, and the audiences for this battle are the biggest we've ever seen!"

"T-t-t-that's…" Genis stammered, "That's incredible! Maybe you were right about me battling an Iron Chef after all…"

"Speaking of which, who did you end up deciding to challenge?"

"Sakai."

Regal frowned. "You know he won the King of Iron Chefs tournament, right? I mean, you were afraid to take on Kobe because he beat the Wonder Chef, and he lost in the first round of that tournament…"

"Oh, I'm aware, all right," Genis replied as he took another sip of water. "I thought about it for a while, and just decided based on the cuisines I know least about. I cook Japanese and Italian all the time, Chinese every now and then, but never French. I figure, if I'm going to lose, I might as well learn something while I'm at it. But I'm not going to lose!"

Regal grinned. "Dedicated to your pursuit of knowledge as always, I see. Oh, that reminds me, I have something for you…" Regal chuckled as he reached for a box he left by the door of the dressing room. "I know you like incorporating these into your dishes, and I don't know how well they'll work with today's theme, whatever it is…but here."

He handed the young mage a wooden box with a calligraphy message on the lid. He saw Genis looking at the message intently and then broke in.

"Oh, yes, I had Sheena write that on there. Mizuhoan characters. It says, 'For our Iron Chef, Genis Sage'. And each of us signed the sides of the lid, too. Go ahead, open it."

Genis smiled as he saw his friends' signatures around the lid before he opened the box. Inside was a cylindrical box containing a whitish-yellow paste, and surrounding it were long sheets of seaweed.

"This is the best quality miso I could find. And the konbu that surrounds it is the stuff of legend. A little good-luck gift from all of us."

Genis shut the box and thanked Regal as he finished the last of his water and checked the clock. 30 minutes until showtime, it read. 30 minutes until Genis was to call out Sakai as his opponent, 30 minutes until he found out what the theme ingredient was, 30 minutes until he heard Kaga boom forth the _Allez Cuisine_. 90 minutes, at least, until he found out whose cuisine reigned supreme. And if his didn't, would his friends be able to look at him the same way ever again?

There was another knock at the door, Genis too lost in thought to get up to answer it. Seeing this, Regal got up and cracked the door open so that Genis couldn't see who was outside.

"Does he have a minute?" said the voice behind the door.

Regal nodded and turned to Genis. "Genis, you should probably see who's at the door here…"

The young mage's head shot up faster than he could cast Aqua Edge, and he shuffled over to the door. As Regal opened it, Genis stood in the doorway, somewhat shocked.

"Oh…! Hey, Sheena."

"Hey, kiddo," the kunoichi said, clapping a hand to Genis's shoulder. "How're you feeling?"

"A whole bunch of different things at once," he replied. "Nervous, excited, uncertain…you know, the usual set I get before a battle. Where's everyone else?"

"They're already in the Royal Box, but I snuck out to come see you. Presea told me last night that you seemed pretty nervous, and she appears to be right…"

Genis nodded uneasily as he shifted his gaze from Sheena's face to the floor. This, of course, did not go unnoticed by the kunoichi, who tightened her grip on Genis's shoulder and knelt down to look him in the eyes.

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Sheena…"

She laughed. "I know you're not—you've hit the big 13 now, haven't you?" she asked, in a half-mocking motherly tone. "Look—I just wanted to drop by to wish you good luck. I don't care whether you win or lose, you still make the best food I've ever eaten in my life, and I'm just in awe of what you come up with next. And everyone else—including Presea—says the exact same thing. So just go out there and have fun. OK?"

Genis blushed at the mention of Presea's name. He looked Sheena in the eye and smiled. "Thanks, Sheena."

"Sorry to interrupt," Regal coughed, "but Genis, we were told to be behind the challenger's curtain at least ten minutes before the start of the battle. We only have twelve, and we should get going."

"OK…right behind ya," Genis called to the older man.

"Oh, and Genis?" Sheena called as Genis whirled around to face her. "Now might be the time to say something to a certain pink-haired young lady…"  
Genis froze. "Huh?"

"You know full well who I'm talking about. Just go, before you're late. We'll catch up later."

The young mage blinked in disbelief as he ran to catch up with Regal, who was already behind the curtain. Genis straightened out his chef's outfit before he finally settled into position behind Regal and took a deep breath.

He paid no mind to the producers who counted down the seconds before the beginning of the show; Sheena's words kept echoing in his brain: "Just go out there and have fun."

* * *

Chapter 6 coming...then the battle begins. Stay tuned...


	6. PreBattle

Chapter 6, where the pageantry before the battle takes place. What theme does Genis end up getting? Kyo no tema wa...kore desu!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Pre-Battle**

Lloyd and company found their seats in the Royal Box on what was to be Genis's side of the kitchen, the reminder of the Wonder Chef's loss to Iron Chef Kobe still very fresh in their minds and troubling most of them. Colette brought with her a support poster bearing a caricature of Genis she made the night before, apologizing for not having done enough for Genis before the battle.

"Colette, I think you can put that poster down for right now…nothing's happening," Raine whispered.

"Oh! Of course, Professor, I'm sorry."

"So what do you think Genis's chances are against one of them, Professor?" Lloyd asked.

"Realistically, it depends on which Iron Chef he challenges. Statistically speaking, Sakai and Chen will be the toughest to beat, though anything can happen in the kitchen."

"And we all know what 'anything' means, right?" Zelos butted in, earning him a slap from Raine. "Not the face…!"

"Idiot Chosen…" Sheena muttered, having retaken her seat. "Shut up over there, we're about to go live."

As if on cue, Chairman Kaga entered to applause and took his position behind the ingredient stand, silencing said applause by holding up a finger.

"Today we welcome a challenger with the official endorsement of the president of our sponsor, the Lezareno Company. Though he has no restaurant experience, our challenger was forced to improvise many times during the arduous Journey of World Restoration. In all of Kitchen Stadium's history, he is the youngest challenger to confront my Iron Chefs. Let's bring him on! A native of Iselia and a culinary child prodigy…Genis Sage!"

The curtain at the far end of the stadium ripped open with a flourish, revealing Regal striding into the culinary battlefield, with Genis tailing along behind him. Genis waved to his friends in the Royal Box and tried not to laugh at Colette's poster as he and Regal met the Chairman at the base of the stairs, in the center of the stadium. Kaga extended a hand to Regal.

"Welcome, President Bryant. It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise, Kaga-san."

"So what led you to believe that this young man is capable of defeating my Iron Chefs?"

"He has a broad knowledge of what ingredients go together, and his improvisational prowess is simply phenomenal. He fits the bill perfectly."

"I see," Kaga smirked as he crossed to Genis, extending his hand. "You are not only President Bryant's personal recommendation, but also the youngest challenger to ever step into my Kitchen Stadium. Are you up to the challenge?"

Genis nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll do my best."

Kaga grinned. "Very well, then. _Ganbatte._ Now, I'd like to call upon the pride of the Gourmet Academy: the four Iron Chefs."

Genis nodded and stole a glance at the Royal Box to see his fellow companions cheering him on.

"Yomigaeru-ai…IRON CHEF!"

The four Iron Chefs ascended into position on the dais, staring Genis down. The young mage hiccupped at the intimidating sight, but did not bat an eye as Kaga asked him:

"OK. Who will it be?"

A fire, sparked by determination and adrenaline, burned in Genis's eyes as he turned his glance to the man in red.

"Sakai-san, please!"

"Whoa!" Fukui exclaimed, "The youngest challenger in Kitchen Stadium calls for the eldest Iron Chef—Challenger Sage, determined to drop the best! Hiroyuki Sakai, known as the Delacroix of French cuisine and the King of Iron Chefs. But with a child prodigy of only 13 aiming to tarnish the Iron Chefs' perfect record in Kitchen Stadium Symphonia, he'll have to fight harder than he's ever fought before!"

Genis looked up at the man in red as the Iron Chef came down from the dais to meet the young mage. Sakai smiled as he shook Genis's hand.

"Let's do our best today, OK?" he said as he led Genis to his position.

"Thank you, Sakai-san," Genis replied, slightly take aback at the older man's warm demeanor. _Gosh…I can tell he's such a nice guy…and he stands up there like he's about to eat you alive…_"Yes, let's do our best today."

"I thought long and hard about what ingredient to let our youngest challenger tackle," Kaga began. "Then I remembered what our challenger is known for—the Journey of World Restoration. No doubt did he have to be pulled in many directions to accomplish his goals. And then I thought of the perfect ingredient. 'Pulled in many directions'. An ocean-dweller fits this description perfectly."

_Oh, crap…_ Genis thought, _I hope it's not live…_ He stole a quick glance at Sakai, who wasn't looking too excited himself.

"And now, let's unveil the ingredient. Today's theme…is THIS!"

Kaga ripped the red tablecloth off the ingredient stand, releasing a large cloud of smoke. Much to both gentlemen's dismay, a large tank rose in front of the Chairman. As the smoke cleared, Genis could make out something brown moving inside the tank.

_Can't be a fish…they don't move like that…_ he thought. _Wait a minute, were those legs?! Oh, crap…_

Sakai winced as the smoke cleared. _Damn, not this one again… _He glanced at Genis and, seeing the same worried look he carried on the youngster's face, nervously laughed.

"Today's theme…" Kaga announced, "…is OCTOPUS!"

* * *

Uh-oh...live ingredients in the tank! What's Genis to do? Opening gong in the next chapter!


	7. Tako Confront

Chapter 7, where Genis and Sakai duke it out in an hour of octopus-wrangling. Allez Cuisine.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Tako Confront**

**Or, When the Iron Chef Screams Like a Girl**

挑戦者 }K{ 鉄人

ジーニアス・セイジ VS 坂井 宏行

"Yecch, octopus?!" Lloyd winced, giving Sheena an expression that told the kunoichi that he wouldn't be caught dead eating that.

"Heh, what he said," Zelos added, turning slightly pale. "I went to a place one time where they served raw octopus…I mean, it was cut up, but the stuff was still squirming on the plate in front of me."

Sheena, as usual, was disgusted at the idiot Chosen's remark, but for once didn't feel like slapping him silly. "You know, for once, I actually agree with you…" _Heh. And I actually _LIKE _octopus, too…_

Zelos said nothing, much to her surprise; his face froze, maintaining a grotesque expression of disgust.

"Poor Genis," Presea said as she looked at Raine worriedly, "I remember he told me one night that he hoped he wouldn't get a live ingredient as the theme. He looks like he's going to be sick…"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," began Raine, "Sakai-san doesn't look too healthy either. I think I remember reading an interview with him, and he said something about how he hates octopus…"

Colette's eyes shifted from the tank of octopus to the kitchen floor, where a large man in a tuxedo was interviewing Genis.

"What the heck am I supposed to do with this?" she heard him exclaim, as the man moved away and turned to interview Sakai.

"…man, this stuff gives me the creeps!" was all Colette heard from Sakai as she bent down to retrieve her poster. _And honestly, it does that to me too…_ she thought. _Goodness, I thought seeing chefs chop up live eel was bad enough…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by Fukui's narration, though she wasn't really paying attention until he reached, "…we are set, let's get it on!"

"ALLEZ CUISINE!" Kaga boomed.

Applause rang out from the challenger's side of the kitchen, the group raucously applauding the beginning of their friend's culinary confrontation. Colette raised her poster of Genis as the youngster bolted up the stairs to the tank, nearly crashing into Sakai on the way up there.

"Bang a gong, we are on," Fukui narrated, "and look at Challenger Sage out of the gate—running up to the ingredient stand, while Sakai's taking considerably more time to get there…"

"Ewww, yuck!" Genis voiced his disgust for the ugly, eight-legged brown creatures squirming around in the tank, hoping to avoid becoming dinner for today. He reluctantly reached into the tank and hesitantly grabbed a leg, only to have it slide right out of his hand and slop right back into the tank.

"Kwaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Sakai screamed as he hastily slammed an octopus into his tray, sending it and the octopus crashing to the floor.

"Aw, man, I have to reach in there and get another one?" he groaned, quickly slamming both octopus and tray back onto the ingredient stand before reaching into the tank again. "This is just not my day…"

Back in the Royal Box, Lloyd and Sheena had their heads buried in each other's shoulders, laughing hysterically at the two chefs' apparent squeamishness.

"Man, I mean, I know Genis is practically paddling upstream when working with live ingredients, but that is just TOO funny…" Lloyd giggled.

"Hehe, you should see how much trouble Sakai-san is having up there," she said between laughs, pointing to the Iron Chef.

"Hahahaha! Man, he looks like he's gonna—"

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! It's getting away!" Sakai screamed. An octopus wriggled free from his hands, slid off the ingredient stand, and slopped onto the stairs, where it was appearing to slowly ooze down them. Grunting in frustration, he picked up the tray, two octopi in tow, and ran down the stairs back to his side of the kitchen.

"No! He's not even going back for that one…" Fukui, upon seeing Sakai ignore the fallen octopus, exclaimed.

"…scream! I knew it!" Lloyd whispered to Sheena before they both erupted in a fit of laughter.

"What the heck is this…?" Sakai whined as he dumped his two octopi into the sink, almost flinching as he reached for one to place onto the cutting board.

Genis retreated to his kitchen with three octopi, which he promptly flung into the sink and shook his hands out in disgust.

_Man…did I mention I don't like live ingredients? Especially slimy ones?_

He removed one octopus from the sink, laying it onto the cutting board and gesturing to one of his assistants to chop it up. He stole a glance at the two remaining octopi writhing in the sink, made a face, and pulled out a roll of paper and a brush to write out his battle plan.

* * *

"Fukui-san!" the large man in the tuxedo interjected.

"From the floor, Shinichiro Ohta, go!"

"When the theme ingredient was revealed, both chefs appeared to be _disgusted_ at the thought of working with octopus—Challenger Sage told me, 'I hate working with live ingredients, and I don't like slimy ones like this one! What the heck am I supposed to do with this?'"

"OK, the challenger a little less than enthusiastic about the theme today—"

"And Fukui-san?"  
"Yes?"

"I asked Iron Chef Sakai what HE thought about today's theme, octopus, and he didn't even _look _at me—he just crossed his arms, made a face, and muttered 'Aw, man, not this again!'"

"Well, maybe that'll explain the screams from earlier; as some of us may recall, Sakai actually lost an octopus battle once before…and it's quite unusual to have BOTH chefs dislike the theme ingredient—hopefully that won't affect the quality of the dishes they turn out today. And now, let's meet our distinguished guests for today's battle; first, we saw the challenger mimic his ritual of writing a menu before a battle just a little while ago: Honorary Iron Chef Japanese Rokusaburo Michiba. Michiba-san, great to have you with us."

"Hi, thanks for having me," Michiba bowed.

"And he's been a guest commentator before, and he fought the very first Iron Chef battle when we started in Japan, Honorary Iron Chef French, Yutaka Ishinabe."

The bearded man grinned as he bowed. "Hi, great to be back."

"And as always, our color-commentator, Dr. Yukio Hattori."

"Always a pleasure," Hattori replied.

"OK, so our theme today is octopus, and I know octopus is used quite often in Japanese cuisine, but Ishinabe-san? What about French cuisine, is octopus used much there?"

"It's actually not that uncommon," Ishinabe began. "It's used quite often in bouillabaisses, along with many other kinds of seafood. Sometimes it's even served straight up—braised, fried, grilled, what have you—and usually marinated beforehand. So it'll be interesting to see what Sakai-san comes up with."

"So that's the Iron Chef for you, there, but what about the challenger? What do we know about his style?" Fukui continued.

"That guy in the silver suit," Zelos whispered to Raine, pointing to Fukui, "he just doesn't stop with the questions, does he?"

"It's called 'educating your audience', Zelos. You might benefit from listening once in your life…" the professor sighed as she brushed him off. She was too busy listening to Ishinabe's mini-lecture on octopus in French cuisine, and perked up her ears as Michiba fielded Fukui's latest question.

"I've been told that the challenger is a self-proclaimed maverick from the land of Sylvarant," Michiba replied, recalling his surprise encounter with the young mage some two weeks earlier. "Much of his style, as I remember hearing, stems from the influences of his home village of Iselia…"

"I wonder if that's just something he made up…" Raine muttered as she watched her little brother scurry around the kitchen, hoping he wouldn't knock one of his assistants over in the process.

"I do not think he is," Presea, who had apparently been eavesdropping on the professor, leaned over and whispered to her. "He told me he ran into Michiba-san two weeks ago, and that is essentially what he told him."

Raine paid her no mind as she continued to observe Genis sautéing octopus in a large frying pan. She didn't even notice Ohta, the large man in the tuxedo, approaching her.

"FIFTEEN MINUTES HAVE ELAPSED," came the time call, and raucous applause erupted from Genis's Royal Box as Colette, after bumping into Sheena to her immediate right, held up her poster.

"All right, fifteen minutes gone already, and Ohta's up in the Royal Box with one of the challenger's supporters, if you're ready, take it away, big fella!"

"Thank you, and I'm here with Raine Sage, the challenger's older sister. Raine-san, what do you think of the battle so far?"

Raine jumped, startled by the man's presence. "Oh! I—uh, well, it's obvious that he's making every effort to put his very soul into his dishes today, but he does that all the time. And I'm just intrigued by the creativity of both competitors today—"

Raine's thoughts were interrupted by a loud _boom_ on Genis's side of the kitchen. The next thing she saw was an octopus flying straight up, out of Genis's sink. It landed onto his cutting board, fully cooked.

"You'll have to excuse me, Raine-san, but I'll have to check this out. Fukui-san, back to you!"

Both sides froze at the sight; the whole octopus, sitting straight up, had a strange card stuck to its head. As Sheena looked at the monitor—which displayed a shot of the card—in front of her, she reached for her sleeve.

_What the…dammit, Colette, you klutz!_

"What in the world—?" Genis exclaimed, taking a quick look at the octopus before returning to work on the soup he had started. "Somebody cut that up for me! I'll need that right away!" he ordered as he reached for the box of miso Regal gave him before the battle. _Hey, as long as I don't have anything to do with it while it's alive, I'm fine with it…thanks for that, Sheena!_

"Fukui-san!"

"Whatcha got?"

"About that loud explosion from the challenger's side that produced this fully-cooked whole octopus—the card you saw stuck to its head appears to be a Mizuhoan ofuda! I asked Challenger Sage about it and he just gave me a funny look and continued working—I don't think he has a clue. Back to you."

"A Mizuhoan ofuda—a magic-infused card, for those of you playing along at home—causing the commotion on the challenger's side, wonder if that came from Miss Fujibayashi up there in the Royal Box. Meantime, Iron Chef Sakai looks a bit rattled over there as he continues to work on that cucumber and octopus salad…"

"Do they just go off like that when they hit something?" Lloyd asked Sheena.

"When they're thrown, yeah," she replied. "Looks like Genis doesn't care a bit, though…in fact, doesn't he look more _relaxed_ to you out there?" She pointed at the young mage, who was now smiling as he handled the octopus. A worried expression crossed Lloyd's face as Genis made to flip the mixture currently in his frying pan, but left him quickly as his friend caught it without spilling anything.

"Well, you know Genis," Lloyd replied. "As soon as he gets in the zone, he's as cool as a cucumber."

Sheena grinned. _Cool, indeed._

* * *

Regal watched Genis intently at kitchen level, the older man's face bearing a pensive stare and a slight grin as Genis scooped a heaping dollop of the miso and threw several sheets of the konbu he gave him into a steaming pot full of noodles and very hot water.

_This, this young boy I see in front of me…this is the young kitchen prodigy I know. Relaxed, efficient, and masterful all lumped into one human being._

"Where's that Pyre Seal Octopus? Slice up the tentacles and bring 'em to me!" Genis barked.

_Pyre Seal Octopus?_ Regal thought. _Makes sense, I suppose, given that it _was_ Sheena's ofuda after all…_

The blue-haired man continued to watch the young silver-haired prodigy as the clock ticked away.

"FIFTEEN MINUTES TO GO," came the time call.

He saw Genis work furiously on a mixture of sugar, milk, fresh cream, and vanilla extract—surely a dessert, almost certainly an ice cream that he always did so well. Genis ordering his assistants to fire up the ice cream machine confirmed his thoughts, which puzzled the older man.

And then came something he was not expecting at all.

The young mage took a bowl of octopus ink that he had previously extracted and dumped its contents into the ice cream base he worked on earlier.

"Has he lost his mind?" Regal heard Fukui wail as Genis poured the bizarre, grey-colored mixture into the ice cream machine. "I know we've seen some weird stuff come out of the Kitchen Stadium ice cream machine before, but this is ridiculous!"

_And just when I thought red bell pepper ice cream was bizarre enough…_ Regal thought, remembering the dessert Genis had served them that night he offered him the chance to battle here. He looked up to the Royal Box; Fukui's sentiments had carried over to the group.

_Presea doesn't look fazed…but that doesn't surprise me… _

_

* * *

_

"Octopus ink ice cream? Has he lost his mind?" Presea heard Fukui lament. She turned to the rest of the group, all of whom grimaced at the mixture being poured into the machine.

"It's not a matter of DID he lose his mind, but rather WHEN did he lose it…" she heard Lloyd mutter as he turned pale.

"Jeez, Raine, did you teach him that one?" Zelos shouted.

"Has Genis always been this creative?" she asked Raine, who ignored the red-haired Chosen.

"I don't think 'creative' is the right word for what he's doing now…maybe Lloyd's right, WHEN did he lose his mind?"

"ONE MINUTE TO GO," came the time call and raucous applause from the group. Colette raised her poster once again.

"OK! Whatever's not plated, plate it now! Niflheim Noodles go in the soup, Pyre Seal Octopus slices in there too! Where's that pasta, folks? Don't worry about the paella, it's done, we'll plate it at tasting! And leave the ice cream to me!"

Presea grinned, despite mentally grimacing at the thought of the octopus ink ice cream. Genis sounded totally in control in the last few minutes of the battle.

"THIRTY SECONDS TO GO."

She watched him dreamily as he pulled the hardened ice cream out of the machine, scooped it into the glasses he took out, and stuck the fried octopus fritter on top.

"FIFTEEN SECONDS TO GO."

_I hope he lets me taste these dishes one of these days… _Presea thought as the applause rose to a roar.

"TEN SECONDS TO GO."

Genis scanned his four dishes, beaming proudly.

"FIVE SECONDS."

"Great work, everyone!" he called as the clock ticked down.

"THREE."

"TWO."

"ONE."

"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Octopus Battle is OVAH!" Fukui bellowed as the gong rang out and the applause exploded from both sides of the kitchen.

Genis wiped the sweat from his brow. The hour went by very quickly, but he was exhausted. Ohta immediately ran up to him and stuck a microphone in his face.

"That was an amazing battle! How was the hour?"

"Ah—um, well, it was very fast. And very tiring," the young mage panted as he reached for some water.

"Did you accomplish everything you wanted to?"

"Ah…" Genis paused, thinking back to his list, "…well, I didn't really focus much on presentation, so I wish I did that a little better, and I hope they taste good…"

"What are your chances of winning today?"

Genis blinked. "Well…we'll leave that one to the judges."

* * *

How does our hero fare? Tasting and judgement, next!


	8. The Moment of Truth

Chapter 8, where we find out what the reactions are to Genis's labors in the kitchen. Bon appetit.

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Moment of Truth**

Genis shuffled his feet in place as Pietro, Chocolat, Yuan, and Honorary Iron Chefs Ishinabe and Michiba took their seats at the long table headed by Kaga.

_Hopefully they'll like what I came up with…_ he thought.

Regal's presence at the table shocked him.

"They said I could taste as long as I didn't vote," the older man whispered in Genis's ear before taking his seat.

The young mage bowed as the first course was served.

"So what was your inspiration for today's battle?" Kaga asked him.

"Well, each of my friends who went on the Journey of World Regeneration with me are very important to me. So each of the dishes is symbolic of each one of my friends in some way."

Regal raised a brow. _This will be interesting…_

The tasters savored Genis's four-course menu of black octopus angel hair pasta, Niflheim noodles and Pyre Seal Octopus, Iselian paella, and the octopus ink ice cream.

"I'm sure you had many heads turning with that explosion early in the battle," Kaga recalled as he stifled a chuckle.

"Oh, yes, how could I forget that?" Genis replied, nearly chuckling himself. "Well, thanks to an assist by my friend Miss Fujibayashi, we have this perfectly cooked octopus accompanied by a miso soup with konbu and what I've termed 'Niflheim Noodles'. Just your typical cellophane noodles coated in some hot pepper powder."

Yuan grabbed his water glass and downed it. "Whoa, this is spicy!" he shouted, fanning his mouth.

"Are you trying to make us suffer as much as Zelos does when he's on the other end of Sheena's beatings?" Regal coughed as he too reached for his water. The panel laughed.

"This is probably the most unique soup I've ever tasted," Ishinabe remarked as he nearly choked on the spiciness of the noodles. "You paired the noodles perfectly with a masterfully-cooked octopus, and the miso soup is a nice balancer to the dish. Very well done."

Genis bowed as his next course, the paella, was brought to the tasters' table.

"This paella," Genis explained, "relies on some of my friends' favorite ingredients that pair well with the octopus. You should see some shredded vegetables like carrots, onions, and bell peppers. I added some other seafood, like shrimp and squid, to diversify the tastes. Also, the octopus was drizzled with lemon juice before being mixed into the rice, so that's what gives the octopus away here."

"Mmm…" Chocolat giggled as she took another bite. "This is really good! The vegetables add so much color to this dish…wonderful!"

"If you hadn't told us about the lemon juice," Pietro began, "I never would've known there was octopus in this dish. There are a wide variety of tastes, like you said, but I wish you could've brought the flavor of the octopus out some more."

_Huh?_ Genis thought. _Maybe I went a little overboard on this one…_

"We've all been anticipating this one," Kaga said as the ice cream was brought out, snapping Genis out of his trance.

"Hehe, yeah, I'm trying something new today. I guess I can't help the fact that I've got the biggest sweet tooth of the entire group…" He bit his lip as he saw the tasters eye the strange concoction with puzzled looks. Chocolat in particular warily lifted the spoon to her lips, much like how Colette had done with his red bell pepper sorbet two weeks ago. And just like Colette had done, Chocolat's worrisome expression on her face turned into a smile.

"Well, there's certainly been more eccentric things that have come out of Kitchen Stadium's ice cream machine," Yuan began, which worried the young mage. "At first I thought, 'Who in the world would ever want to eat this?' And then I finished the whole thing. I really like this."

_Well, I'm glad _somebody _liked it…_

"I applaud the young man's creativity," Michiba said, "and it's definitely something to see that such a young chef is already discovering that it doesn't matter what an ingredient turns into as long as it's good."

Genis twisted his lip, wondering what exactly the old man was getting at.

"This is probably one of the most unusual dishes I've ever had here…" Michiba finished.

_A diplomatic comment…_ thought Genis, mentally sighing. _Sure didn't sound like he liked it, unless I'm missing something…_

_

* * *

  
_

Genis watched the monitors carefully from backstage as the panel devoured Iron Chef Sakai's five-course offerings. Being away from his friends' line of sight worried him, as he never felt any lonelier than he did now. Every comment he heard from the judges also worried him—"the presentation is excellent", "the octopus is truly the star of this dish", "the aromas are wonderful", "Sakai-san does it again"…

_Damn…he's really got me beat…I mean, Yuan's a tough guy to please, and I didn't hear anything bad out of his mouth…and the former Iron Chefs were practically singing his praises…_

Soon he heard footsteps approach him—the Iron Chef slowly walked up to Genis and took a seat next to him.

"Sakai-san…" the young mage said, standing up to greet the man. "It was an honor battling you."

The Iron Chef smiled as he grasped Genis's hands. "My pleasure, Genis-san. I see a bright future ahead of you, even if it is not in the culinary field."

"Well, it'll take a lifetime to get to the level of an Iron Chef…" Genis replied.

"Yes, but you are only 13 years old. I've been doing this for more than 50 years…_considerably_ longer than you have been alive," Sakai replied with a grin. "And look—I don't know what the outcome is, but don't be discouraged if you lose. You did your best, and I did mine. The battle is now out of our control. And besides…it's only a TV show, don't worry about it."

The young mage grinned at the mustachioed chef.

"Genis-san! Sakai-san! The votes are in!" a producer called.

The two chefs looked at each other before getting up to re-enter the Stadium. Sakai grinned at the silver-haired youngster before he led him back to his place in the kitchen.

The panel followed Kaga into the Stadium as the Chairman took his position behind the ingredient stand.

"A young mage," he began, gesturing to Genis, "with the official endorsement of the President of the Lezareno Company. We were treated to a brilliant showing of creativity in the kitchen from a young man who, no doubt, had to change strategies many times over the course of the Journey of Regeneration. But was it enough to best the as-yet undefeated Iron Chef?"

Genis did nothing but stare intently at the Chairman. The group in the Royal Box sat silently, bearing stern expressions on their faces.

"Now, the verdict."

Fukui narrated over the tense piano chords: "Our youngest challenger entered the fray today in the Octopus Battle against the eldest Iron Chef. Challenger Sage: his creations indicative of the long journey that brought him to where he is today; Iron Chef Sakai: trying to preserve the Iron Chefs' undefeated record in Kitchen Stadium Symphonia—can he hold off one more challenger? Who takes it? Whose cuisine reigns supreme?"

* * *

Uh-oh, cliffhanger! So whose cuisine DOES reign supreme? Find out in the next (and maybe last) chapter!


	9. Just Desserts

Chapter 9, where we reveal the winner. Thinking about adding epilogue...not sure though. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Just Desserts**

"Who takes it? Whose cuisine reigns supreme…?"

A long silence hung in the air before Chairman Kaga gestured and handed down the verdict:

"Challenger, Genis Sage!"

_I…I won?!_

The young mage, stunned, pointed to himself in disbelief as the whole stadium exploded in cheers and thunderous applause.

"Unbelievable! It's the challenger!" Fukui exclaimed. "Yes, you! Challenger Sage becomes the first chef ever to beat an Iron Chef here in Kitchen Stadium Symphonia! And Sakai, ever so gracious in defeat…"

The two chefs approached each other at the center of the floor and shook hands. Sakai, with a big grin on his face, turned to the Chairman and the panel and lifted Genis's arm in the air.

"Congratulations!" Sakai said, patting Genis on the back.

"Thank you…"

"You're going to have to let me taste that octopus ink ice cream one of these days…I'm a little curious myself," the Iron Chef muttered into Genis's ear.

Genis laughed. "I don't think you're the only one," he replied, jerking his head up to Lloyd and company in the Royal Box.

"We have got to check the scores for this one…" Fukui relayed excitedly, "Pietro, 19-17 Iron Chef; Chocolat, 20-19 Challenger; Yuan, 19-18 Challenger; Ishinabe, 20-19 Iron Chef; two-two until Michiba, who goes 20-18 for the Challenger, and Genis Sage wins it in a 3-2 split decision!"

"Wow!" Colette squeaked as she lifted her poster once more.

Chairman Kaga called Genis up to the table, where the youngster shook hands with the panel, earning some more hearty congratulations.

"I really, _really_ wanted to call a tie," Ishinabe whispered to him. Both chefs laughed as Genis went to greet Michiba, who was beaming like a proud father to his son.

"The ice cream clinched it for ya," he told him.

Genis smiled as Chairman Kaga presented him with a large box containing several stacks of bills.

"I cannot think of a more deserving person for this money," he said before handing him the box. Genis bowed, accepting the money. He turned to Sakai, who was also beaming at him. As he hoisted the box high above his head, he turned to his friends in the Royal Box, who were cheering wildly. Amidst the scene, the only thing he noticed was the biggest smile he had ever seen on the face of a certain pink-haired woodcutter.

* * *

Congratulations and thank you if you made it with me to the end. Again, this was my first fic, so I know this is never the best. But if I get good reviews, I may write more...where the original IC cast moves out and the Symphonia cast becomes the Iron Chefs...but that's up to you to decide. Cheers!


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